According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the College Football Playoff (CFP) management committee debated the notion of a 14-team playoff just one day after the details of the newly implemented 12-team playoff were revealed.
According to Thamel, if the 14-team College Football Playoff were implemented, it would happen in 2026. The “5+7” technique is the current strategy that was revealed for the 12-team playoff. This implies that the seven highest-ranked at-large teams and the top five conference winners will both qualify for the CFP.
Although the “5+7” approach appears simple, it could lead to several strange situations that require close examination by the CFP committee. In an On3 article, Dr. Mark Keenum, the chair of the CFP Board of Managers and president of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, provided an explanation of the rationale for this approach.
“Given the evolution of our conference structures since the board first adopted this new format in September 2022, this is a very logical adjustment for the College Football Playoff,” Keenum said in a statement. “I am confident that coaches, spectators, and student-athletes will all welcome this change. When this new arrangement is implemented on the field this postseason, we will all be happy.
The Liberty Flames would have qualified for the College Football Playoff if this had been in place for the 2023 season with the new conference alignment, which is required because the conference realignment is what led to the “5+7” method rather than the “6+6 method,” which would have included the now-defunct Pac-12.
Liberty would have been admitted not just with the Oklahoma State Cowboys but also ahead of clubs like the Oklahoma Sooners, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Ole Miss Rebels.
Notre Dame is also limited to a maximum of the fifth seed in the College Football Playoffs due to the current system.
Due to the new system, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, even as the top-ranked team in the nation, will only be able to receive the No. 5 seed, as the top four conference winners will be assigned as seeds one through four by the CFP committee.
Although it would initially seem like a disadvantage, if this format had been used in previous years, it would have really been historically advantageous. Notre Dame would normally play a Group of Five conference winner in addition to still not having to play a conference championship game, which effectively gives them the bye that they are “missing out” on.
In previous years, they would have played the following teams as the five seed:
The Boise State Broncos in 2014
Navy Midshipmen, 2015
The Western Michigan Broncos in 2016
Memphis Tigers, 2017
The Fresno State Bulldogs in 2018
Memphis Tigers, 2019
2020: The Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in 2021
Tulane Green Wave in 2022
Liberty Flames in 2023
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